Texty Ladies site and contest

Last night I posted a site with a very generous contest. I want to also encourage you to check out the other links on that site as well.

Yesterday on the blog, there was an interview with Marci Baun who runs Freya's Bower. Marci is a wonderful lady with a great sense of humor; and she gave a very insightful interview on Freyas Bower and the world of e-publishing.

Did you know that Freya's Bower and it's sister site, Wild Child Publishing are recommended at Predators & Editors? I think that is great stuff! So, if you are writing...or even thinking of writing...I personally recommend checking out the submission guidelines of both places before you look anywhere else.

Freyas Bower accepts erotic and themed erotica. WCP accepts almost all fiction genres.
I will say this--their submission guidelines are strict. if your work isn't its best, polish it up before submitting. They have "old NYC publishing standards", to quote Marci. That's a good thing though. No one wants to read a sloppily written book.

One final note: FB isn't accepting submissions for a few more months. But, that gives you even more time to polish up that MS.

Until next time!

Very cool site and contest

Check it out:
TT: Contest Texty Ladies

A writer to check out...

A writer to check out is none other than my husband, Christopher Tran. His first novel, Tiffany's Twisted, is published by Wild Child Publishing. It is a light horror/thriller. Here is a review and an excerpt:

"a darkly twisted novel of love and passion...incredible twists and turns this story takes... I cannot believe this is Christopher Tran's first novel."
5 Pixies by Amanda Haffery, Dark Angel Reviews

Excerpt:

The doctor led us through double doors, and we walked along a busy hallway.Thoughts of losing my mother jostled for precedence with those of now losing myfather. A lump formed in my throat, and I swallowed in an attempt to banish it.
The doctor pointed us to a room and said, “He’s in there. I’ll leave you guysalone.” He quickly left, the tails of his white coat flapping behind him.
My father was in pain. Every inhalation seemed like it took a Herculean effort.An IV in his arm brought the reality of this surreal moment home. His heartmonitor beeped slower by the second.
“Hey, Johnny,” Nana said as we approached his bed. “How are you?”
“I feel like shit.” He tried to muster up a smile.
Nana returned the smile, her eyes glistening. “You’ll be alright, son.”It was hard to hear through all the noise the heart monitor made, andconsidering the circumstances, the rest of us stayed silent.
Dad tried to laugh, and then, “Oh, Mother, I’m a grown man. I can feel it—I’mgoing soon.”
Nana stood and watched her son giving up hope. I’d known this day wouldcome, I just didn’t think it would come today, so soon.
Stephen moved to the side of the bed and held Dad’s hand. “Dad?”
“Yeah, Stephen,” Dad whispered.
“You’ll finally see God,” Stephen said.Nana and Maggie both held back tears, biting their lower lips.
“Yeah, I’ll ask him if there are really fallen angels,” Dad said.Stephen smiled.The door opened, and a nurse came in followed by Brit and Cass. They bothsaid a few words to Nana and Maggie, showing empathy for their pain. I acknowledged both of them with a nod.
Nana asked them, “Why are you two here? It isn’t really appropriate….”
“We care and because Mikey called us,” Brit said. “Is it a problem? Shall wewait outside?”Nana sighed and looked at Dad. Dad shook his head slightly.
“No, if Johnny doesn’t mind, then I suppose—”
“Thank you.” Brit turned to my father and said half jokingly, “You’re looking good, Mr. Dougherty.”
He smiled. With relief? Maybe the joke made him feel a little better about the inevitable.“I can’t die just yet,” he said, looking at me.

Here's the link to buy, if you're interested!

Tiffany's Twisted [wcp00027] - $5.95 : Wild Child Publishing Store, A Quality eBook and Print Publisher

Why write?

Poeople write for a myriad of reasons. Some (poor misguided souls that they are) do it because they feel they will gain prestige and a big bank roll. Others have family members who have done so in the past. However, I've found that the majority who try breaking through into the business have a genuine love for the craft.
In my opinion, those people are the ones who will succeed. They don't have the misguided concept that anything they turn out will be picked up and published. They realize that, most likely, they will not be raking in 6 figures a year.
What is a genuine love for writing, you may ask? In my opinion, it is the burning desire to create worlds, environments, and characters that are able to sweep you away to unlimitless worlds; where there are no boundaries to the imagination. They painstakingly pour out there heart into the typed word; allowing us, if but for one brief moment...to escape the dull and grey in our everyday lives.
Even though I'm not yet published, that is my goal. That every word of mine that hits the paper (and may someday be read by others) can have an effect on the reader. More on this later. Reality calls.